


feathers and shiny things

by one_go_alone



Series: corvus [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Character, Blindness, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-23 11:46:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/621777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_go_alone/pseuds/one_go_alone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life goes on. </p><p>[A collection of drabbles set in the corvus universe.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. staring contest

**Author's Note:**

> I have written a few of these, and I may write a few more, but I'll probably be a bit slow to post them. I'm not separating out the Kisame/Itachi from the gen ones, but I will warn for it at the beginning of any drabble that has that, so anyone who prefers them as friends can skip those. Rating may go up at some point in the future, depending on what else I write.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are you doing?"
> 
> "Staring contest."

“What are you doing?” Sasuke pauses in the short hallway outside his bedroom, peering dubiously at Naruto where his friend is crouched down in front of one of the many glass tanks that line the room. It really is wonderful having his own apartment and finally being able to keep his snakes close by.

“Staring contest,” is Naruto’s reply.

Sasuke resists the urge to smack his head against the doorframe.

“Naruto,” he says slowly, “snakes _don’t have eyelids_.”

“I know that!” Naruto hisses, flapping a hand dismissively in Sasuke’s direction. “If I blink before it flicks its tongue, then I’ll lose. But it hasn’t done for a long time!”

Sasuke opens his mouth, realizes that there is really nothing to say to that, and closes it again. He comes into the room and drops down to peer in at the small viper curled up inside the (securely locked) tank. He sighs.

“She’s _asleep_ , idiot, of course she isn’t flicking her tongue!”

“ _What??_ ” Naruto falls backwards despairingly. “How can you even _tell_?”

Sasuke sighs again and stands up. “Come on, dinner’s almost ready.”

Naruto grumbles, sticks out his tongue at the cage, and then hops to his feet, grinning again. Sasuke, hiding a quirk of his own lips, leads the way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> -I am envisioning the little viper as a [horned viper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerastes_%28genus%29), also known as the North African desert viper. 
> 
> My wonderful beta [leathansparrow](http://archiveofourown.org/users/leathansparrow/pseuds/leathansparrow) gets full credit for this one! She suggested the idea of Naruto having a staring contest with one of Sasuke's snakes at some point last year, and I decided it was too funny to pass up.
> 
> So, here's a little more after all! They're just some short scenes that I had some inspiration for. With the exception of this one (which takes place somewhere in the middle-ish of _corvus_ ) they are all set after the end of the main story, and will be **roughly** in chronological order. 
> 
> Enjoy! ^_^


	2. reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been two years, eight months and three days since he last saw Kisame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is implied Kisame/Itachi in the second half of this drabble, but nothing explicit.

It has been two years, eight months and three days since he last saw Kisame. On that day, Itachi hears an unexpected knock on his apartment door.

It has been seven months since the postcards stopped coming, and five months since the Kisame’s last email. Itachi has refused to let himself worry about this fact; whether Kisame is all right or not, there is nothing he can do. 

Even so, he finds himself holding his breath as he crosses to the door on this particular Sunday morning, and does not let it out again until he opens the door to Kisame’s wide, white grin. Itachi lets the breath out quietly, and feels the corners of his own mouth tilt up in a slight smile.

“Itachi-san,” Kisame says. He looks as strong and healthy as ever, his pale skin darkened in that strange, bluish tan.

“Kisame,” Itachi whispers, and steps back to allow his friend in.

They both pause, staring at each other as the door clicks shut behind the bigger man. They hold back for two long breaths, and then move forward at the same time, catching each other up in a tight embrace.

It is a long time before they let go.

~~

Much later, they sprawl loose-limbed across Itachi’s couch. Kisame lies on top of him, face buried against Itachi’s shoulder and loose hair. Itachi, calm and comfortable even with the other man’s weight, cards his fingers through Kisame’s blue hair, breathing in the distant scent of sea-salt and warm tropical winds. 

“I’m glad you’re back,” he whispers.

“Me too,” Kisame says, equally quiet. 

They make no further declarations, but none are really needed.


	3. darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He lays in bed for a long time, breathing slowly and staring with blind eyes at the ceiling.

There comes a morning when Itachi opens his eyes from the darkness of sleep...and finds that the waking world has at last become dark for him as well.

He lays in bed for a long time, breathing slowly and staring with blind eyes at the ceiling. He does not fight the few, sad tears that roll down the sides of his face and into his hair. Then, after a few more breaths, he lets go of the sadness. He knew this was coming, and knew even a week ago that it would be soon.

Slowly he rises, his movements smooth and practiced as he paces carefully across the room to the window and throws open the curtains. The fabric is rough and textured against his fingertips even if he can no longer see the dark green color. The sunshine now flooding in is warm on his face, even if its golden light is beyond him now. His fingers skim carefully down the edge of the window-door, undoing the latch and sliding the door open so that he can take a careful but familiar step down onto the balcony. 

Crow voices (harsh, familiar, welcome) greet him, and Itachi smiles, holding out an arm braced for Whitewing’s weight. She comes to him at once, trilling a little bit softly as she lands, sensing that something is different. 

Itachi turns his sightless gaze to her, and his smile softens a little. “I may need you to be my eyes sometimes,” he tells her quietly, letting her hop up his arm to balance in her usual place on his shoulder. Once there, she caws softly and preens his loose hair sympathetically. Itachi smiles at the other crows perched on the balcony rail, who join their voices with Whitewing’s. 

“I will be fine,” he tells them, and finds that it is true. So, with another deep breath of the warm, spring air (scents of cherry blossoms, car exhaust, coming rain), he turns around and goes back inside in order to begin his day.


	4. winning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ _...and last but definitely not least, a rising star of the FXKO Tournaments, who will be in our opening bout today, swordsman_ Tiger Shark _!_ ” The sound of applause filters through the speakers, and Itachi smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shuffles nervously back in* Hah...so. I may have forgotten about this for... *eyes the 'last updated three years ago' date* ...awhile. However! I did actually have a couple more bits written, so I'll get those up. There may or may not be more after that, but hey. >.>
> 
> So...hi?

Itachi trails his fingers along his laptop to the power button and pushes it, waiting patiently then for the noises indicating the computer is on before speaking his password in a soft, clear voice. Once logged in, he says “Radio,” and navigates the program as the computer speaks back in a mechanical but passable voice, until it begins playing the station that he wants. It has taken some adjustment to get used to screen readers and other programs that allow him to use his computer even as his eyes blink sightlessly at the screen. Eight months on, now, he is much more comfortable with it, and rarely has any trouble.

‘Loading...station FXKO...loading...’

“ _...and for those of you just joining us now, today’s bouts will be starting in the next few minutes! We’ve got an exciting line-up today..._ ”

Itachi sits back to listen, hearing some familiar pseudonyms, some new, but not the one he is listening for.

“ _...and last but definitely not least, a rising star of the FXKO Tournaments, who will be in our opening bout today, swordsman_ Tiger Shark _!_ ” The sound of applause filters through the speakers, and Itachi smiles.

“ _So! We’ll get started in just a few minutes after this commercial break-_ ”

“Volume down, down,” Itachi commands, and the sound of the advertisements lessens. 

“Time?” he asks next.

‘Time is ten thirty seven pm,’ the computer tells him.

Itachi nods, and says “Radio” again to focus the computer on the radio program again. “Volume up, up.”

“ _...this is our first bout of the night, matching long-time competitor_ Saw Blade _against newcomer_ Tiger Shark. _Beginning...now!_ ”

Itachi sits back again, allows his eyes to close, and smiles as he settles in to listen while Kisame wins yet another of the semi-legal fighting tournaments.


End file.
